Reflectingon the current healthcare and health insurance debate in Congress and the Senate, I am struck by the lack of appreciation for the people in the industry who serve us, provide care to us and pay the bills that are incurred by us.  The vilification of an industry and the people who work in it, representing 1/6^th of the US economy is beyond belief.  This administration has grown so arrogant as to despise the people it is called to serve.  

Can you imagine any other time in history where this has occurred?  The anger and frustration of the supporters of this failed House bill would suggest that as a people, who inform themselves and find they do not like the direction being taken, are rubes, foolish, being wrongly influenced, etc.  The reality is that they have lied to us, purposely obfuscated the issues and have pursued a personal agenda that is anathema to the US Constitution and the people’s rights.  And nowhere is this better illustrated than by Speaker Pelosi, who exemplifies this animosity toward the people and those who work in the industry that serves them.  The following report was filed today from The Hill news service: 

Dem memo plotsmessage war on insurers

ByMike Soraghan

HouseDemocratic leaders have developed a coordinated strategy for attackinginsurance companies to ward off attacks from opponents of their health careoverhaul during the August break, according to a strategy memo obtained by TheHill.  “Our message is simple. It is nowbeing echoed by the White House,” said the memo sent to all Democratic members.“And it counters the Republican ‘government takeover’ message.”

Themessage in the memo, though, won't fit on a bumper sticker:

“Removethe insurance companies from between you and your doctor— capping what they canforce you to pay in out of pocket expenses, co-pays and deductibles, and givingyou the peace of mind you will be covered for the care you need, if get sick,or if you change or lose your job.”

HouseSpeaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) brought out the new message in an exchange withreporters in the Capitol, when she said, “They are the villains in this.”  The attack comes even though the healthinsurance industry hasn’t attacked President Obama’s plan or the legislationbeing hammered out in Congress.

ButDemocrats who’d pushed for a vote before the break are dreading an onslaught ofadvertisements funded by business. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is putting $2million toward fighting a Democratic proposal to create a government-run“public plan” to compete with private insurers. To counter that, Democraticleaders will be coordinating media strategies and grassroots efforts withadvocacy groups such as Health Care for America Now, Families USA and AARP,along with unions such as AFSCME and the Service Employees International Union.

In abriefing with reporters Thursday, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.)acknowledged that Democrats have been losing the message war "a littlebit" to Republicans. He said Democrats have had problems communicatingwith the bill as it changed in the legislative process.

“We’reresponsible for putting together a plan. We've been focused on that,” Hoyersaid. "Republicans have been free to conjure up whatever they want.” Butnow, he noted, some industry groups like the American Medical Association andthe pharmaceutical industry who derailed reform in the 90s are on the side ofDemocrats who want to overhaul the system. “Harry and Louise are going to besaying this is a good thing,” Hoyer said. “We're going to be on the air, we'regoing to be in the neighborhoods.”

Inaddition to noting presidential events, the three-page strategy document laysout a detailed campaign of district events, rapid response, and conferencecalls with lawmakers to update them on strategy. The web plan includes aFacebook page, a Twitter campaign, and even a “Hidden Tax Clock” modeled afterthe National Debt Clock. It will push the Democratic talking point thatAmerican's are already paying a hidden tax by subsidizing the uninsured. 

You need to be aware that the Democrat congress has a plan to vilify and attack private enterprise in a way that we have never seen before in this government.  The outright and illicit useof government resources for such an act along with the likes of ACORN and the SEIU (both of which collude against us with US tax funds) is simply un-American.  Understand that this is a concerted effort to create a conflict between the insured and the insurers where none exists today. 

Can we improve our healthcare and health insurance – of course!  We need create economies of scale through cross-state pooling, transportability of coverage, elimination of denial based on existing conditions and tort reform eliminating the “casino” approach to lawsuits and their resulting defensive medicine approach by doctors.  But this is not about changing the entirety of our healthcare or health insurance system. 

The problem with our government today is that it no longer considers legislation incontext of moderation or moderate behavior.  Every single action seems to be oriented to the “big bang” theory of spending.  When a representative like John Conyers can state that reading bills is useless because they are too complex and require a couple lawyers to help you interpret them, then we have an absolute abrogation of duty and responsibility by our elected officials.  Understand, these bills, including the current incarnation of the healthcare reform act are written to confuse and confound you.  After reading most of the 1,018 pages of the current proposal, I can say that I agree with Conyers on the lack of clarity in the bill. 

However, a reading of that bill is sufficient to understand that this bill is an assault on our current system and the process by which healthcare is delivered to people in this country.  It isimportant to consider the statistical side of the equation when evaluating our health insurance and health care in this country. 

The following details are extracted from the US Census Bureau’s 2009 Statistical Abstract and reflect their 2006 tables (latest available): 

•  First, of the 297 million US population, 201 are covered by private insurance.  When you include Medicare andMedicaid, the total covered population increases to 249 million, or nearly 85% of the population. 

•  Of the remaining 47 million not covered by insurance, further analysis must be undertaken to get at the root of the problem.  We need to reduce the number by approximately 12 million illegals in the country; those who earn over $50,000 annually and who could afford catastrophic or full insurance - 17 million; and those who are often referred to as the “invincibles” in the 18-24 year old demographic and who typically don’t buy or want insurance as they are often not consumers of major healthcare services -  a further 8million.  The total of these three groups is 36 million. 

•  In this context, the real problem involves the remaining 9 million people.  Without splitting hairs, as a number of these people are eligible for government insurance but do not apply, we now find that approximately 3%, yes that’s right – 3% are not covered within the current system and are really the problematic demographic that needs to be helped through some mechanism. 

The last three percent are indeed in need of a solution, however, do we change 1/6^thof our economy for 3% of its citizens? The answer should be a resounding no! Do we need to control the costs of Medicare and Medicaid – or course!  But these efforts to control expense will not be successful without the reform of tort law and the implications that the practice of defensive medicine has on overall costs.  To be sure, Medicare recipients need to contribute more over time as the services provided have been expanded and improved.  And as I have argued, the ability to pool and provide transportability are key to the private sector insurance improvement.

But in the end, the government appears intent on attacking the private sector and vilifying everyone from corporate CEO’s to bankers to our financial institutions to doctors and now insurance companies.  You need to be armed and prepared with your defense of your own healthcare insurer and provider community.  For in the end, there exists no law or “right” that requires a doctor, nurse or other allied healthcare professional to educate themselves over many years at great personal and financial expense and provide you with healthcare.  The government cannot place these professionals in service as indentured servants to you or your family.  And that is exactly what the liberals and Democrats in this administration would propose by suggesting that healthcare is a “right” enumerated by the Constitution. Simply stated, the prescription for change that is currently before us has side effects so vile as to likely kill the patient!